Preview: Alex Paterson of Orb/Smart Bar

It’s been a long, strange trip indeed for Orb front man Alex Paterson. From his early days as a roadie for Killing Joke and an A&R for EG records, through his endlessly shuffling series of collaborators and side projects, and on to his current state of production, the man has remained a consistent force in electronic music. This is a rare breed, whose subversive, decidedly drug-oriented music has, limited commercial success aside, remained predominantly underground over a successful 17-year career. His studio output hasn’t subsided in quality or quantity and he continues to tour the club and festival circuit vigorously. Paterson has recently enjoyed a bit of a resurgence through his association with uber-hip German techno mega-label Kompakt and one would expect that the label’s influence would perhaps yield a slightly more club-friendly approach to his sound than ever before. Whatever the case may be, its bound to remain Paterson’s own fantastic and unique vision toward the outer limits of where this music is going. (Jarrett Spiegel)